Ketron files to be delegate for Trump

MURFREESBORO — Earlier this week, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett released the names of the 14 GOP presidential candidates and three Democratic presidential candidates who will likely appear on the March 1 primary ballot.

In the case of the Republicans, he also released a list of potential Tennessee delegates for Republican presidential campaigns at the national GOP convention.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump garnered the most support from the Rutherford County establishment, according to the list. Smyrna City Attorney Jeff Peach, real estate agent Larry Sims, twice-failed congressional candidate Lou Ann Zelenik and state Sen. Bill Ketron top the list of nine Rutherford County residents who applied to represent Trump for the state of Tennessee.

Ketron applied to be an at-large delegate for Trump in the 4th Congressional District because of his “Reagan-esque qualities,” the Tennessee Senate Caucus Chairman said Friday in a phone interview.

“I think there are more positive things than negative about him,” Ketron said. “Compared to the other candidates, he has the strength and backbone to make our country great again.”

Ketron said he likes the top four candidates — Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson — but he had to make a decision and Trump was his choice.

Cruz attracted the next largest group with five potential delegates, led by former state Rep. Joe Carr. Cruz’s father Rafael Cruz spoke with Carr at tea party events around Nashville, and Ted Cruz made a campaign stop in Murfreesboro in August.

The only other elected official from Rutherford County to apply was state Rep. Dawn White who, along with her husband, Chad, threw her support behind Carly Fiorina.

White could not be reached for comment.

If elected, the delegates will cast votes in the actual process to nominate the GOP presidential contender, which takes place at the Republican national convention July 18-21 in Cleveland. Dec. 10 is the last day for possible delegates to file the paperwork needed to run.

Some of these potential delegates started the process toward serving as a particular candidate's delegate, but they have yet to file the required petitions to actually serve as a delegate for that campaign.

The 58 delegates would represent GOP candidates selected in Tennessee's primary March 1 on a proportional basis. It's a complicated process, Tennessean reporter Joey Garrison noted, but generally the candidate who receives the most overall votes receives the most delegates.

Tennessee Democrats choose their candidates through a different process that involves selections at the local and congressional district levels in 2016, said Mary Mancini, state party chairwoman.